GUATEMALA: CHILDREN ON THE MOVE In the past 3 years, 75% of the children and adolescents who arrived at the southern border of the United States came from the Northern Triangle of Central America, 24% form Guatemala.
Between Mexico and Guatemala
there are at least 136 gangs of migrant smugglers. There are 30 “blind spots” that
the authorities report can not be patrolled due to lack of personnel.
Mexico
In 2016
Approximately 12,000 children and adolescents returned to Guatemala.
Chiapas
Tuxla Guatemala Gutiérrez Arriaga Huehuetenango San Marcos
“Two years ago, I traveled to Oklahoma. I was not thinking about the future, what I wanted was to meet my parents in person, my dad left when I was a year old, my mom went with him like two years later, they left me with my grandparents. Now I have two little brothers who were born there. My grandparents were happy with my decision because they can not take care of me anymore, my parents are not coming back.” Luis, 16 years old
Those who try to reach Mexico through Guatemala do so via: The department of Huehuetenango,
walking through the mountains until they reach Tuxtla Gutierrez. The department of San Marcos, crossing
the River Suchiate swimming or by raft, continuing until Arriaga where they take the train called La Bestia.
Source: National Council for Migrant Support.
PORT
Secretariat for Social Wellbeing and Office for Children and Adolescents
RE
IN
Public Ministry, Judicial Organ and INACIF REFUGE
Gabriela, 15 years old
PGN IGATION ST VE D PUNISHM N E A
“The police waited with us on the route, they took us to a place, I do not know where, I slept there for two days. We were put on a bus to Guatemala with my dad, when we arrived the coyote went by his side, we went back to the house by bus. I am not going to try again, my brother and my dad passed after we came back and they already passed. I’m not going back to school, I have a lot to do at home. They do not let me work here.”
FICATION TI
The lack of resources to cover the cost of moving families is a limitation for the return of children to their places of origin.
RECEPTION
N
These institutions contact the families of these unaccompanied children and adolescents to fetch the latter from the reception shelters en Guatemala and Quetzaltenango.
ID E
T
In the process of return, they are accompanied by immigration authorities with prior notice to the corresponding authorities such as the Office of the Attorney General and the Secretary of Social Welfare.
Reception of the unaccompanied migrant children and adolescents
N
WHAT HAPPENS TO THE CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS WHO RETURN?
Relocation and reunification
Model of Comprehensive Care for Migrant Children to strengthen existing processes of detention and repatriation of migrant minors:
Recruitment of psychosocial equipment prioritized in points of high reception of migrant children.
Campaigns and information on migration processes, aimed at parents and children.
Training, training and updating for the specialization of processes.
Inter-institutional coordination for comprehensive care.
Axes of the Model of Comprehensive Care for Migrant Children, signed in 2017 as a collaboration of the Foreign Ministry, Unicef, IOM, Secretariat of Social Work and the Wife of the President, SBS and civil society.
It is necessary to extend services, and coordinate and articulate inter-institutional efforts to provide effective reintegration of migrant children and adolescents.
WHAT IS NEEDED? Political will to achieve advocacy with local authorities, enabling support to reinsertion / reintegration programs for children and adolescents in their communities of origin. Support for educational institutions for the integral reintegration of children and adolescents in their communities. Work with local authorities and other organizations to generate development opportunities in return communities. Support the systematization and delimitation of protocols and institutional and central routes. Contribute to the consolidation of support networks for families of children in return and to avoid the victimization they suffer when they leave the reception shelter and return to their countries of origin.